County reports worst voter turnout since 2000

Published 4:53 pm, Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Early voting rates were essentially flat this cycle compared to 2010, when Texas last elected a governor, with about 1.7 million ballots cast.

Early voting rates were essentially flat this cycle compared to 2010, when Texas last elected a governor, with about 1.7 million ballots cast.

Photo: Eric Gay/Associated Press

County reports worst voter turnout since 2000

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According to unofficial numbers from the Midland County Elections Office, 23,679 voters from Midland County cast a ballot. See how Midland voted and what to take away from Tuesday's elections.

Seliger has no problems winning another term

A decade ago, Kel Seliger won his first election to the Texas Senate. On Tuesday, he guaranteed his stay will last another term.

Seliger, a Republican from Amarillo, trounced Libertarian Steven Gibson in the District 31 race, collecting more than 90 percent of the 112,648 votes, with more than 90 percent of the precincts reporting. District 31 includes Midland, Odessa and Big Spring.

More than 90 percent of Midland County’s 22,130 voters also voted for Seliger.

Seliger served last session as the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee. It remains to be seen if Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick will keep Seliger in the same position, pick him to be the new Education chairman or take his cues from the more conservative wing of the party and drop Seliger from those seats. Seliger also serves on the Senate Education Committee, Senate Finance Committee, Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Open Government.

Seminole is now wet

If you want to buy alcohol in Seminole, you will have the ability to do so.

According to the Seminole Sentinel, Seminole voters, by a 694-601 margin, passed a measure to make the city “wet.”

Seminole follows its neighbor to the south, Andrews, whose voters also recently approved a measure to allow for alcohol sales inside the city.

Low voter turnout

Midland County reported its worst turnout in terms of total voters this century.

According to unofficial numbers from the Midland County Elections Office, 23,679 voters from Midland County cast a ballot. That was 31.47 of the electorate. The bad weather wasn’t the only reason for the low turnout as 2014 trailed 2010 in total voters on Election Day and during early voting.

Here is a rundown of past voter turnout in gubernatorial (or mid-term elections) and presidential elections in Midland County.

Mid-term

Year Voters Percentage of electorate

2014 23,679 31.47

2010 28,146 39.25

2006 24,945 N/A

Presidential

2012 44,600 60.62

2008 46,525 62.54

2004 44,999 N/A

Darr collects the most votes

Robin Malone Darr, the judge for the 385th district, collected more Midland County votes than any candidate on the ballot — opposed or unopposed.

Darr totaled 20,543 votes, which beat out 441st District Judge Rodney Satterwhite (20,456) and soon-to-be 318th District Judge David Lindemood (20,471). Of the candidates not running for judge, long-time state Rep. Tom Craddick collected the most votes (20,372).

FEDERAL

(Votes, Percentage)

U.S. Senator

John Cornyn (REP) 19,933 85.15

David M. Alameel (DEM) 2,624 11.21

Rebecca Paddock (LIB) 714 3.05

Emily “Spicybrown” Sanchez (GRN) 126 0.54

Write-in 13 0.06

U.S. Representative, District 11

Mike Conaway (Rep) 20,118 91.29

Ryan T. Lange (Lib) 1,920 8.71

STATE

(Votes, Percentage)

Governor

Greg Abbott (REP) 20,198 85.69

Wendy R. Davis (DEM) 3,012 12.78

Kathie Glass (LIB) 327 1.39

Brandon Parmer (GRN) 32 0.14

Write-in 3 0.01

Lieutenant governor

Dan Patrick (REP) 19,879 84.71

Leticia Van de Putte (DEM) 2,979 12.69

Robert D. Butler (LIB) 552 2.35

Chandrakantha Courtney (GRN) 58 0.25

Attorney general

Ken Paxton (REP) 19,804 84.65

Sam Houston (DEM) 3,050 13.04

Jamie Balagia (LIB) 489 2.09

Jamar Osborne (GRN) 53 0.23

Comptroller of Public Accounts

Glenn Hegar (REP) 19,369 83.23

Mike Collier (DEM) 3,100 13.32

Ben Sanders (LIB) 713 3.06

Deb Shafto (GRN) 91. 0.39

Commissioner of General Land Office

George P. Bush (REP) 19,703 84.18

John Cook (DEM) 2,763 11.80

Justin Knight (LIB) 827 3.53

Valerie Alessi (GRN) 114 0.49

Commissioner of Agriculture

Sid Miller (REP) 19,411 83.65

Jim Hogan (DEM) 2,917 12.57

David (Rocky) Palmquist (LIB) 689 2.97

Kenneth Kendrick (GRN) 188 0.81

Railroad Commissioner

Ryan Sitton (REP) 19,436 83.46

Steve Brown (DEM) 2,879 12.36

Mark A. Miller (LIB) 763 3.28

Martina Salinas (GRN) 209 0.90

Chief Justice, Supreme Court

Nathan Hecht (REP) 19,950 84.22

William Moody (DEM) 2,938 12.63

Tom Oxford (LIB) 733 3.15

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6

Jeff Brown (REP) 19,591 84.49

Lawrence Edward Meyers (DEM) 2,856 12.32

Mark Ash (LIB) 739 3.19

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7

Jeff Boyd (REP) 19,384 83.57

Gina Benavides (DEM) 3,015 13.00

Don Fulton (LIB) 703 3.03

Charles E. Waterbury (GRN) 94 0.41

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8

Phil Johnson (REP) 20,093 91.69

R.S. Roberto Koelsch (LIB) 1,272 5.80

Jim Chisolm (GRN) 548 2.50

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3

Bert Richardson (REP) 19,393 84.00

John Granberg (DEM) 2,882 12.48

Mark W. Bennett (LIB) 812 3.52

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4

Kevin Patrick Yeary (REP) 19,618 89.21

Quanah Parker (LIB) 1,768 8.04

Judith Sanders-Castro (GRN) 604 2.75

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9

David Newell (REP) 19,899 90.77

William Bryan Strange III (LIB) 1,555 7.09

George Joseph Altgelt (GRN) 469 2.14

State senator, District 31

Kel Seliger (REP) 19,941 90.11

Steven Gibson (LIB) 2,189 9.89

LOCAL

(Votes, Percentage)

MISD Trustee, Place 4

Rachel L. Stone 584 37.08

Kurtis Nodolf 232 14.73

Jeff Robnett 759 48.19

Proposed Constitutional Amendment Election

Proposition 1

“The constitutional amendment providing for the use and dedication of certain money transferred to the state highway fund to assist in the completion of transportation construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation projects, not to include toll roads.”